Wheels of the type adapted to sand both flat and irregular surfaces such as may be present on wooden moldings are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,194,577, 2,418,966, 2,533,619, 2,713,759 and 3,132,452. Generally that type of sanding wheel comprises a hub assembly adapted for engagement by a drive motor to rotate it in a first direction, a plurality of flexible support members (typically in the form of bristle brushes) fixed in the hub assembly and projecting generally radially outwardly of its periphery, and a plurality of lengths of flexible abrasive-coated material, outer end portions of which extend through slots in the periphery of the hub assembly and project along the leading sides of the support members so that when the hub assembly is rotated the projecting portions of the abrasive-coated material are resiliently backed by the support members during application thereof to a surface to be sanded. Portions of the lengths of abrasive-coated material are also stored within the hub assembly and means are provided for releasably securing the lengths of abrasive-coated material within the hub assembly so that after the projecting portions of the abrasive-coated material become dull or wear away, the means for releasably securing can be temporarily released so that fresh portions of the lengths of abrasive-coated material can be pulled through the slots and positioned along the support members.
In known sanding wheels of the aforementioned type, however, the lengths of abrasive-coated material each have one end permanently or releasably attached to a core, and the means for releasably securing the lengths of abrasive-coated material releasably locks the core in place within the hub assembly. While such an approach may be satisfactory for securing the lengths of abrasive-coated material, the cost of permamently attaching a plurality of lengths of abrasive-coated material to a core or adapting the lengths of abrasive-coated material to afford their releasable attachment to a core adds significantly to the cost of the abrasive-coated material used in the sanding wheel. Adjusting the position of the core adjusts the position of all of the lengths of abrasive-coated material which may not be necessary or desirable if the projecting portion of only a few of the lengths are dull or worn away. Fairly large end portions of the lengths of abrasive-coated material extending from the core to the periphery of the wheel can never be used, which is wasteful; and the wheels are generally difficult to re-load with new abrasive-coated material since typically they must be taken apart for that purpose.